


Just One More Night Forever

by tpena19



Category: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Highlander - All Media Types, The Magnificent Seven (TV), Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mythology, F/M, Immortals, M/M, Past
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-04
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-03-28 23:48:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3874489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tpena19/pseuds/tpena19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of Ambrosia's (Maude's) <i>special</i> plans leads to something unexpected, though not unwelcome, for Euphemios (Ezra).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introducing Our Leading Man

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for a livejournal team writing prompt.
> 
> Prompt:  
> Write a story with The Magnificent Seven characters set in a time period other than their own (Old West, circa 1870's), but before 1940. The characters should be the same ages as they were on the show, so no kid fic.  
> The story can take place in any location.
> 
> (New Ancient Greece AU - closed)
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** Not mine, making no money, just playing with the wonderful characters, so do not sue me.
> 
>  **AN:** Not entirely time period specific as I follow the Hercules/Xena version of 'history' for fun's sake. Also, will not be fully compatible to the normal Herc/Xena-verse canon either (I prefer a more likable Strife for example).

(Corinth, Ancient Greece)

_[Translated from the native Greek for your viewing pleasure.]_

The door to the private dressing chamber swung open, stopping short of slamming into the wall behind it only by luck in the placement of a discarded sandal. Looking extremely annoyed, a young man dressed in scarlet silk and brown leather stalked gracefully inside, neatly avoiding the now rebounding door. As the door banged shut behind him, the irked man scanned the small enclosure, hand upon the hilt of his sword. He relaxed his alert posture and moved forward as he found no lurking threats hiding in the nearly bare room. 

He hadn't been anticipating any trouble, but then again, he's learned that that's usually when it decided to show up. If he's gleaned anything useful from his myriad past lives it's that it always pays to be careful. Just because he hadn't felt the presence of another immortal inside the chamber didn't mean there wasn't one. After all, many of the older generation (of which either he or his teacher had managed to piss off more than a few) had long since learned to lessen their presence or mask it entirely. As he had.

"I can't believe I agreed to this, ... this farce" he muttered to himself with a frown while taking a slower second look around. "I must remember to never leave my drink unattended around that woman again. She, no doubt, slipped something potent into the wine while my back was turned. That is the only explanation that makes any sense for my decision to go along with this ridiculous, doomed to fail, plan of hers."

As the man finished his inspection of the area, fixing the placement of exits and potential weapons in his mind, he heard the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. He recognized the accompanying high pitched whining voice, so he turned to face the doorway with a barely concealed smirk on his face, and a careful hand on his sword, just in case. The officious tailor he had left behind in the main room had finally caught up and was opening the door, already nattering on about some unimportant detail or other. The self-important servant scurried into the room with that night's potential outfit draped over his arm. 

A pair of finely sculpted auburn brows rose over suspicion filled emerald eyes at the first sight of the night’s expected attire. Sighing heavily, and pouting a bit as there was no one of consequence around to reprimand him for doing so, the immortal known in this life as Euphemios, but named Ezra in ages past, unstrapped his sword, setting it within easy grabbing distance on the only furnishing in the area, and moved to undress. He kept his mirth to himself when he noticed the formally impertinent tailor pale more and more as the pile of weapons set upon the short bench slowly grew as the clothes came off.

With the, now completely cowed, clothier's help Ezra was soon enfolded into the newest additions to his wardrobe. The placid expression on his face belied his underlying feelings of disgust for the articles of clothing known as a chiton and himation. They were hell to sword fight in, and they didn't allow him to hide near enough things upon his person without being entirely too drafty. One of the most advanced western civilizations of its time, as he should know, and yet its citizens dressed in glorified blankets. He much preferred the apparel of the northern tribes, give him a sturdy pair of breeches any day. 

He wasn't best pleased with the chosen material either. It was itchy and draped funny, causing unflattering bulges to appear on his person where none should be. Silks from the far east were surely more flattering, and they felt so nice against his sensitive skin. Not to mention the wondrous array of colors to choose from, much nicer than the drab, boring choices of his current attire. 

He had just determined the best way to voice his complaints to get results without giving offence when an appalled voice cried out from behind him. Maude had finally arrived.

"He absolutely can not wear that monstrosity to the party! No, it just won't do." The imposing blond woman dressed in regal purple silks snapped. Her blue eyes narrowed in disapproval as she began a slow lap around a bemused Ezra - she had ordered the outfit, after all. She reached one hand out in an attempt to tug the garment into some form of proper order. She failed.

"The color is all wrong for him, and what IS that made of? Goat’s hair?" She snarled looking extremely vexed. "You do realize just who will be at tonight's party, don't you?" 

Ezra frowned at that, just who exactly WAS going to be at this party? Matter of fact, whose party was it in the first place? He was newly returned to Greece after spending his last life as a trader in the far east and he'd just arrived in country within the past fortnight. He had made his way straight to the current location of his teacher to reconnect, thus he wasn't up to date yet with the social scene. A definite disadvantage when Maude was working one of her ‘fool proof’ plans (as those types always seemed to be the ones that caused Ezra the most trouble).

He only had a basic idea of the plot behind Maude's latest get rich quick scheme, having come into it at a very late stage (the previous night), and he really needed to pin her down and get more details. Like what he was supposed to be doing at this party, and why exactly he couldn't just wear his own clothing instead of a sheet. He was sure he could find something acceptable in his bags. Now, what was she calling herself these days? Ah, that’s right - Ambrosia - the key to eternal life. He rolled his eyes. Hiding in plain sight always had been a specialty of hers. 

Before he could speak up, Maude spun on her heels fixing the groveling artisan with a glare that could melt platinum. "What on earth were you thinking? This is an important night for my darling boy and I will not have your hackneyed approach to costuming ruin it for me. Don't worry Euphemios, Mother will fix this - Salmoneus!"

Ezra raised a brow as an instant later a portly gentleman dressed in brightly colored robes grinned his way to her side. The man must have been standing right outside the room just waiting for her to call for him.

"Yes, my sweet?" the owner fawned, eyes never straying from her face. "How may I be of service?"

"You assured me that this cretin was a master tailor! Just look at my poor boy!" She pointed dramatically at the failed chiton and himation. "What do you call those, hmm?"

The opportunistic salesman, who had never met a deal he didn't try to make, pulled his gaze away from the latest object of his heart's desire to take a quick look at the young man standing statue like in the middle of the room. Salmoneus was fully prepared to try and talk them both around to accepting the clothing at the previously agreed upon price. He started to turn back to his dearest, platitudes ready on his lips, before he honestly registered the sight he had just seen. The words died unsaid as he froze then slowly moved closer to the young man to take a second, longer, much more intensive look.

He had been looking forward to a tidy little profit, of course, that was before he'd actually gotten a good look at the disaster before him. He glared over at the soon-to-be demoted tailor sitting on his knees in the corner. With a well-concealed sigh, that both his customers caught but pretended ignorance of, Salmoneus kissed his imagined profits good-bye. He straightened up to his full height, then bowed before Ambrosia, and began to apologize - profusely.

"Forgive me, my love! That man will be taken care of, don't you worry about a thing." The salesman illustrated his point by kicking the groveling clothier out of the room, literally. "I will have the finest materials known to man brought in immediately. Your son will soon be garbed in clothes fit for a king, so swears Salmoneus!" 

Ezra sighed to himself, there was no getting out of it now, he was doomed. He knew that gleam in those true blue eyes - his teacher always had been cheap. Right now she was working the poor shmuck like the pro she was, the man would soon be begging her to let him create the outfit for free. Ezra bet she'd use the ‘good advertising for the business’ ploy. He resigned himself to showing up at the party (wherever, for whoever) that night swaddled head to toe like a babe. With one last annoyed sigh, this one loud enough to earn himself a sharp glance of reprimand from her before her attention returned to haggling, he resettled his features into their default, placid, unassuming facade and waited for the day to be over already. 

Just why had he thought he missed her again?


	2. Bothersome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ezra thinks he's figured Maude's plot out and he's none too pleased with it.

Ezra surprised himself by not completely hating his new party attire. Sure, he couldn’t hide nearly as many weapons and other surprises upon his person as he’d prefer, and he was still basically wearing a glorified bed sheet, but at least now it was a silk bed sheet in the perfect shade of bluish-green to call attention to his eyes. It fit like a dream and was actually quite attractive on him, even if it did show a bit too much skin for his recent tastes. These upper class modern Greeks liked to indulge their hedonistic sides apparently. 

His sandals were more structured than the common style (which he did hate and had refused to even consider wearing) and he’d been able to work a few surprises into them, so they weren’t completely useless and he was mostly pleased with them. Of course, he would have preferred to wear his boots, but they didn’t compliment his bed sheet at all. He had managed to win the argument with Maude about underclothes though - which he was wearing, thank you very much - so that pleased him too.

_“Oh, no. Not those horrid grey things, Euphemios. Take them off.“_

_“I am not going nude under this flimsy thing, Mother. I have become accustomed to a certain level of binding and see no reason to forgo underclothes that will be completely hidden from sight.”_

_“But, Darling, they don’t match at all.”_

_“And no one is going to see under my clothes, so it doesn’t matter if they match or not. Right, Mother?”_

_“I suppose that’s true, Darling. I just want you to look your very best tonight.“_

_“Really, Mother? Just what exactly do you have planned for tonight?”_

_“Now, whatever could you mean, Dear? Salmoneus! Where are you? We need sandals! Salmoneus!”_

_“…sigh…”_

He hadn’t been able to pin her down about the plan and get filled in on all the details after that either. Here he was, actually at the party, and he still hadn’t been told more than the vaguest outlines of her plan. Her lack of disclosure had been more than enough to make him suspicious, but he had acted a part in her plans before on less information, so he had still gotten dressed up and accompanied her and Salmoneus (which had been a surprise to Ezra as he hadn’t known the party invitation had come through the salesman until then) to the party. He still hadn’t known the reason the party was being thrown for though, or by whom, which was galling.

Once they had arrived at the party and were introduced around a bit, he had realized the nature of the celebration and began to wish he were a less reliable man. He was still there only because he had given his word he would help her out and he never went back on his word (that’s why he so rarely gave it). Of course, she knew that, so he was pretty certain now that she **had** drugged him to get his cooperation (he had to make note to remember to pay her back for that at his earliest convenience). 

He felt he now had a rather good idea of why she had gone to such lengths to get him here though. It also explained why she had given him only scant details about the plan. And that was because she knew he would never have agreed to her plan otherwise. If he had been in his right mind, he never would have given his word to help her out (he really did owe her some generous payback for that drugged wine). Based upon his knowledge of her past plans, upon her recent behaviors, and upon the apparent guest list for this party, he could now make a rather valid guess as to the nature of her current plot. He really hated it when she tried to marry him off for her profit. 

Now, all he needed to be assured of her scheme was to hear her use particularly phrased speech in an introduction to her potential mark. Maude always used similar appealing diction when presenting him before suitors like a fattened calf at auction. She had pulled this plan on him only trice before, but each time had been memorably awful. He had thought he had made her regret it enough the last time that she would never try it again. Pity he appears to have failed at that then. It seems that he will have to work that much harder this time to discourage her trying ever again. Though he isn’t sure yet what he could do to top getting her banned from the entire island of Atlantis.


End file.
